The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-13
THE CoRoNER,s INQUEST.
Testimony of Superintendent Armstrong and
Other Railway Attaches.


Testimony of superintendent Armstrong and
Other Railway Attaches
CHICAGO Aug. 12.-The Times's special from
Forest ILL.,. says: The coroner's inquest, which
began last night was held on the top floor of
the public school-house. There were present
only the coroner, the jury, President Leonard.
of the Toledo. Peoria G. Western railway, Supt.
E. N. Armstrong. of the road Master of
Bridges Markley, Justice of the Peace Estes.
and several reporters for the Chicago and Peo-
ria papers. The first witness called was Supt
Armstrong. He testified that he was the
fated train, which consisted of six sleeping cars.
two chair cars, five passenger coaches.
special car and one baggage car. drawn by engine
No. 13, engineer L. McClintock. fireman Apple
green, and engine 81. engineer Ed. Sutherland.
Engine No. 13 was next to the baggage the
freman's name of engine No. 81 the witness did
not recollect This next to the baggage
car. The train left Chatsworth about HAS
Wednesday night. After leaving he went into
his own and sat there for three four min
utes. when he felt fearful shock to the train
The next instant the car paused over the burned
bridge. He was thrown out of of the win
dews into a hedge-feuce near tie right of way.
The steam was blowing off from one OF the
giues and the hot water was burning him. He
got up and saw train dispatcher e. A. Parker,
of Peoria, and his wife caught in the baggage
car. The witness got the man loose. but could
not get the woman ont She was released
later however. Mrs Gould and daughter, wife
of the auditor of the road. occupying
state room in the special car He went to their
assistance and found them injured.
He than asked one of the fremen where
the front engine was, and told that
engineer Sutherland had gone to Gilman for
help The engine back in about three
quarerrs of an hour with doctors. The wounded
were taken out of the wreck where possible and
sent to Chatsworth and Piper City. while ali of
the dead were sent to Chatsworth, that being
the county seat. The bridge was orly partly
demolished when the witness first saw it, the
strineers at both ends having gone down. Dirt
and brush were thrown on the flames. The en-
gius set fire to nothing, and only one car and
Pullman sleeper slightly burned. The
witness met the section foreman near the wreck,
after the occurrence. and the latter said that he
went over the section at $50 Wednesday. and
there fire there then. The witness had
warned him to have the section hands go over
the section after quitting work. knowing that
the excursion train going over the road that
night No train went the
bridge after $50 o'clock Wednesday
The witness counted the tickets before reaching
Chatsworth. and found that there few
over six hundred persons on the train. He said
he believed that there were only three four
dead persons in Piper City. The witness did
not think it was possible that any body could
have been SO iendish to burn the bridge
About one week ago the grass along the right
of way near the bridge had been burned off. The
train was running, he judged. about thirty five
miles hour at the time of the accident.
Engineer Sutherland told him that he saw a
very small blaze before reaching the bridge. but
thought it was few leaves burning outside the
track. The engineer also told him that he did
not see the fire until he got directly the
bridge. and then he called for brakes but it was
too late to avert the accident The witness
mained at the wreck until o'clock in the morn
ing and saw to the handling of the bodies He
saw one or two persons examining the pockets
or the dead. He was informed by those ma king
the search that it was their relatives whom they
were searching. If ne had had any suspicion
that the bodies being rfed by these
persons his suspicious would have been dis
armed by the way in which the persons making
the search answered him. He saw no one rob-
bing the dead or cutting off fingers from the
dead to secure rings There was plenty of help
to get bodies out of the wreck. valuable assist
ance being rendered by the Chatsworth fire
In d. corn-feld, near the wreck. he
heard a man calling, Help" Help The
witness went toward the sceue and found
man with his left leg broken above his ankle.
Inc man asked him to turn his toes down. Inc
witness did so, and told farmers boy, who
came along with bucket of water, to stay near
this man while the witness went to the assist
ance of others. In few minutes after leaving
him the witness heard shot, and. turning
back, found that the man had shot himself in
ths forehead, producing instant death. The
boy had meanwhile gone away short distance
10 give water to another wounded person The
witness remembered having noticed the de-
ceased trying to get something out of his pocket
while the witness was turning his toes inward. |
j. II Marklev, master of bridges and build I
ngs of :ha Toledo. Peoria & Western road, |
testified that he inspected the bridge IN May |
asst 1t was made of two pile bents four pilinGs |
% each bent 1t was fifteen feet long and six |
eee high. The stringers were seven by sixteen |
eer, two OF them being under each rail- The
les were six by eight inches and nine feet long.
The stringers, ties and guard-rail were put in |
fourteen months ago. The piling was good for /
sbout two years. There was a wall of old TIM /
oers at each end of the bridge TO keep up the |
mbankments. Its condition was good. The |
witness examined the bridge yesterday and /
ound nothing left but part of the partly burned !
.urb aud few pieces of small timber. The |
)iles were burned off close TO the ground. three
'r four of them sticking up two feet from the
ground. The witness thought that it would |
AXE about two hours for such a bridge to burn.
two other bridges the road had been burned
his year, but had been seen in time to prevent